ELMONT, N.Y. - Baseball people are understandably proud of Barry Bonds's record-breaking total of 73 home runs this season. But racing's jockey Jerry Bailey shattered a record some considered safe from assault, and he has a golden opportunity in next week's World Thoroughbred Championships to reach a total likely to stand for some time.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bob Hess, on the threshold of only his second Breeders' Cup appearance, could have been back in New York on Wednesday afternoon in the middle of all the action, wolfing down a Breeders' Cup pre-entry luncheon spread and working on his personal public relations.
Instead, he was back home in California, getting a haircut. The man has his priorities.
"I've got to look sharp," he explained. "Just in case."
BALTIMORE - Every Thoroughbred trainer dreams of claiming a horse and turning him into a stakes winner, but few have ever accomplished the feat as rapidly and dramatically as Tim Ritchey did Saturday.
On Sept. 30, Ritchey spent $50,000 for the 4-year-old colt Sumerset, and the investment didn't look like a good one when he was soundly beaten at Delaware Park. But Sumerset rallied explosively at Pimlico Race Course and scored a shocking 30-1 upset in the $200,000 Maryland Million Classic, as the odds-on favorite, Concerned Minister, faded to finish seventh.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Never underestimate the motivational power of real estate. Kent Desormeaux, winner of the Oak Tree Derby and the Goodwood Handicap on successive weekends at Santa Anita, is riding like a man paying for a new piece of property, which he is.
And while anyone else who had moved barely two weeks ago would be exhausted from hauling boxes, unpacking record collections, or pushing that 300-pound armoire "just a little bit more to the right," Desormeaux seems invigorated. Leave it to Kent to concoct an image that suits his new surroundings.
BALTIMORE - Every Thoroughbred trainer dreams of claiming a horse and turning him into a stakes winner, but few have ever accomplished the feat as rapidly and dramatically as Tim Ritchey did today.
Just 13 days ago, Ritchey spent $50,000 for the 4-year-old colt Sumerset, and the investment didn't look like a good one when he was soundly beaten at Delaware Park. But this afternoon Sumerset rallied explosively at Pimlico Race Course and scored a shocking 30-1 upset in the $200,000 Maryland Million Classic, as the odds-on favorite, Concerned Minister, faded to finish seventh.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Give horse racing some credit. In these times of strife and fear, the game is doing its part to entertain and inspire.
Last Monday night, during a "Tonight Show" segment of wacky headlines and goofball news items, Jay Leno displayed what looked like, at first glance, a Del Mar program. That's exactly what it was - all vivid colors, fitting neatly in Leno's hand, and looking pretty good. He quacked something about "you know, the racetrack south of here," then turned to an inside page and displayed it for the camera.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Few cities in America suffered as much economically in the wake of the attacks on New York and Washington as New Orleans, where tourism is so important. Hotels reported room occupancy rates of 5 and 10 percent, and this trend in turn played havoc with the French Quarter's great restaurants.
"We first saw erosion of business in this area two years ago," said Bryan Krantz, president of Fair Grounds. "Last spring, about the time we finished our race meeting, there was a notable decline, and we experienced double-digit drops in our parimutuel revenue.
The announcement Thursday that the Breeders' Cup Ultra Pick Six on Oct. 27 will have a guarantee of $3 million rather than $5 million this year should not discourage anyone from jumping into the pool. This year's edition is as compelling as ever and may well attract over $5 million regardless of a guarantee.
The Ultra Pick Six is the world championship event for pick six players, a daunting final exam to the racing season with spectacular potential rewards. In 1999, only one person got a perfect score and that lone ticket was worth $3.1 million, a record North American payout.